My New Life
by kelley28
Summary: Yay! Chapter 4 is up. Short, but hopefully I'll be back later.
1. Out With the Old

My New Life

_A/N: I am not the creator or owner of the Harvest Moon game series. I wouldn't mind being the creator, or mind being related to the creator, but no such luck. This story is completely fiction, except for the fact that I actually worked for Wal-Mart at one time, and the problem I used in my story is an actual problem I had while working at said Wal-Mart. Since I don't want anyone to think that they have a reason to sue, I'm spelling it WallMart and, of course, leaving out the names._

_This is my very first fanfic that has seen the light of day. I suck at summaries and sometimes at trying to put my thoughts on paper. Please R&R. Based on HM:MFOMT._

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Chapter One

I wearily opened my front door and set my keys on the table. Another thrilling day at the Old Walls. That's the unofficial name of my place of employment. At first, I thought that being a cashier at WallMart would be kind of fun. I was good at cashiering. Then I got moved to layaway, which turned out be more fun than I thouht it would be. However, reality reared it's ugly head. I had to deal with jerk managers who wouldn't listen to a word I said. Since when did, "can you please come to layaway to talk to a customer because she said she had to talk to a manager RIGHT NOW", translate into, "I'm sorry, I suddenly don't know how to do a job I've been doing since I was fifteen."? I mean, no one likes to wait 20 minutes for a manager and I sure don't like being yelled at cause he's not moving fast enough to suit this particular customer.

Yeah, I needed a change all right. I grabbed a bottle of soda from the fridge and opened up the newspaper that once again had missed my yard. The paperboy's aim sucked. I actually saw him throw a paper and pop a guy on the head with it. To make matters worse, it was his neighbor's paper. I think the kid was seeing how far he could actually throw the paper. Everyone's praying he doesn't decide to play baseball or something. No one complains, though, because he's so sweet. He's helpful and you always get your paper on time. Just don't be standing outside when he comes down the street.

I opened the paper and decided to try the Classifieds first. Boring, boring, boring. Nothing but fast food jobs and dental assistant offers. Dentists scared me. Why would I want to work for one? Just for fun, I scanned the Realty page. Houses that I couldn't dream of affording were spread across its pages. Down toward the bottom an advertisement caught my eye

_Are you bored with your life?_

_Are you unhappy with your current job?_

_Would you like to settle down somewhere peaceful and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine? _

_Then come to Mineral Town! We have just the place to ease your blues. _

_Own your own farm! Be your own boss! _

_If you are interested, please call MT Realty at 209-555-3131. _

_We are eagerly awaiting to set you up with your own piece of paradise!_

A farm? Your own piece of paradise? Who writes these cheesy ads anyway? A life? What was that? I don't think I've ever had a life. I mean, being a WallMart employee sure didn't leave you enough time to do anything but work, eat and sleep. Hmmm. Being my own boss sounded good, too. Sure, I got on my own nerves sometimes, but I figured I could put up with myself. Maybe I would call.

The Next Day:

Okay, I was definitely calling. Today was the day from hell. It made yesterday look like a walk in the park. I didn't even make it through my whole shift. I quit at lunch. Not cool, I know, but if you had been there, you would have done the same thing. I pulled out the ad and dialed the number.

"Hello," a voice chirped in my ear. "MT Realty, my name is Heather. How can I help you?"

Boy, was she ever cheerful. I don't think I've been that cheerful, since, well, ever. She sounded like one those people who the term, "a little ray of sunshine," was made for.

"Hi, I'm Claire Miller and I'm calling about the ad in the paper for the farm." I heard some typing in the background.

"Yes, that property is still for sale," she said.

"I'll take it."

Just like that, no thinking involved. It wasn't like I was leaving anything behind anyway. I had quit my job and last year, my best friend ran off with my boyfriend, so I was pretty much on my own at the moment. I grabbed a pen and paper and wrote down the directions that Heather gave me.

"You'll be met at the dock by Thomas, the mayor," Heather explained. "Enjoy your trip!" she said cheerfully, before she hung up.

'_Did anything ever depress her?'_ I wondered. Actually, I was a little jealous. I wish I could be that cheerful over the phone. Usually, the only phone conversations I had were with solicitors, and believe me, that kind of call can make you anything but cheerful.

I put the directions in a safe a place, and decided that, since I had the afternoon off, I would pack. I didn't have a lot of stuff, so at least I wouldn't have to rent a UHaul or something like that. That night, after packing, I went to bed, excited for the first time in a long time. My own farm! Despite the fact that I know nil about farming, I was looking forward to my new life.

* * *

_Thanks in advance to everyone who reads this first chapter. Also, if anyone has any suggestions, I am grateful. Sometimes, I can get a story started and ended, but the middle is really tough._

_Also, thanks to Tint, Princess-Elli, Ferocious Death-Kappa, Lightning-Dono, and LoZeldafreak, for your inspiration. I have read your stories over and over, and each time, they make me want to write my own. Mine won't be as good, but, here it is._

_PS - I am not making fun of anyone named Heather. I hope no one gets offended. When I started a new job at a call centerin March, someone in training said that it seems like all calls you get from a secretary who is really cheerful, her name is Heather. The name popped up into my head when I wrote this._


	2. My Very Own Landfill

A/N - Yeehaw! Thanks for the great reviews! I'm one of those annoying people who constantly doubts their abilities. However, I CAN take criticism, so if you got any, bring it on!

_**Fairy Friend** - I knew there was someone who was missing from "thanks for the inspiration" notes last time. I really liked "Shelly's World". It was the first fanfic I ever read._

_**Greenfrie** - I'm not sure, really. At the beginning of the game, you call MT Realty, but they never tell you where that is._

* * *

My Very Own Landfill - I Mean, Farm

I watched as the sun sunk below the water. I loved sunsets. I didn't like the ice cold that came afterwards, so I hurried to my room on the boat as soon as the sun hit the water. I sat on the bed and looked around. I couldn't believe I was heading to a farm. The past few days seemed to have passed by so fast.

I had decided that everything I should take would fit into two suitcases. If I thought I could live without it, I gave it away. Josh, the paperboy, cried when I told him I was leaving. His parents were sending him to some sort of camp for kids who wanted to play baseball, but needed some help. I gave a silent sigh of relief when I heard that. At least he was going to get some help before he started throwing baseballs around. I had found an old ball and glove that I used to use when I was his age, and they were still in great condition. I told him he could have them. He asked me to sign them, so he'd something to remember me by.

I laid my head on my pillow and sat back up quickly when I felt something poke me in the head. I pulled the pillow up. My diary. I had forgotten about it. I usually have nothing to write in these things, but when I found this, I couldn't resist buying it. Not only had it been on sale, but the cover was dark green and velvety. I opened it up and searched for a pen.

_Well, here I am, on a boat. Who would have thought? Thank goodness I haven't gotten sea sick! I wasn't sure if I would or not. I've never been on a boat before. What can I say about it? It's…a boat. I like walking around on deck and seeing nothing but ocean all around me. I wonder if there is a beach in Mineral Town. Now that I think about it, I don't anything about it. I forgot to look it up online and my lap top is packed anyway. I guess I'll find out tomorrow. Well, time for bed. That blasted ship horn blows way too loud, too early in the morning for me._

_-- Claire_

That seemed like a good start. I slid the diary back under my pillow , in a more comfortable spot and settled in to sleep.

The Next Morning - Mineral Town

I stood on the dock and surveyed my surroundings. I couldn't believe there was an actual beach here. Awesome! There were two buildings here. One had a sign in front that read "Kai's Beach Shack - Open only in summer." The other building didn't have a sign, but I figured that I would find out what it was soon enough.

"Hello, there!" someone said. I turned to see a short man walking toward me. "Are you Claire?" he asked. I nodded. "Nice to meet you. I'm Mayor Thomas. I've come to show you to your farm." He picked up one of my suitcases and said, "Follow me."

We walked away from the beach. "This is Rose Square." Thomas said. We turned left. Thomas continued his tour guide speech. "This first building on the left is Barley's farm. If you need a cow or sheep, he's your man. The place next to his is the Chicken Farm. Lillia runs it with her children and you can buy chickens from them. On your right here, is the Blacksmith Shop. You can get your tools upgraded and get other equipment you need for your animals." We turned left after the chicken farm. "And this here is your farm."

I took one look and almost passed out. It was horrible! It looked like a landfill! Heather didn't tell me about this.

"Are you sure this isn't the _dump_?" I asked. Thomas started cracking up.

"You believed the ad, too?" He was practically hysterical. I crossed my arms and gave him my best dirty look.

"Yes, I did."

Thomas tried to stop laughing and gave me a pitied look. "You're not the only one. Many people have come to look at this farm and end up leaving right away."

"Well, _I_ can't do that," I told him. "I quit my job in the city and I have no where else to go. And if you don't stop laughing, I'm going to punch you in that big nose of yours!" That sobered him up pretty quick.

"Ok, ok, I shouldn't have laughed. I know it looks bad now, but with a little work, you could make it prosperous again." He gave me a pleading look. Talk about guilt trip. I could tell he wanted to someone to live on this…thing. I sighed.

"Ok, ok, I'll give it a try."

That cheered him up. "Just let me know if you need anything! You might to take a walk around town today, and meet some people."

"Fine." I waved good-bye and headed for the farmhouse. Partway there, I heard a small "yip". I turned to see the cutest sheltie dog ever. She was all fuzzy and had black and silver speckles amongst her brown fur. "Where did you come from?" I asked smiling. She let out a short bark. "I guess you came with the farm, huh?" Her tail wagged furiously. I stooped to pet her and she licked my face. I laughed. "You need a name. Hmmm. How about….Kelsey?" She barked her approval and I had a new friend. "Come on, Kelsey, let's go check out the house."

I looked around the house. It was kind of nice. Kelsey gave me look that clearly said, _This place is a dump_. "It's not _that_ bad." I told her. I swear I saw her roll her eyes. She jumped on the bed, heaved a deep, doggie sigh, and fell asleep. "Some help you are," I grumbled. The house was small, and was in need of a little dusting, and painting, and the outside needed a bomb. Maybe someone here could help me. Or, maybe the Cleaning Fairies would do it while I slept. _Keep dreaming, Claire,_ I told myself. At the end of the bed, I spotted a chest. I opened it up to see tools. An axe, hammer, sickle, hoe, and watering can. I took everything out and put it in my backpack. Might as well take everything for now. I started to ask Kelsey to come with me, but I heard a contented doggie snore and decided to leave her alone.

I opened my door and almost ran into a fist. I screamed so loud, I'm sure they heard me in the next town. Kelsey freaked and hid under the bed. The person on the other side of the door held up his hands like he thought he was about to be arrested.

"I was just getting ready to knock," he said. "I didn't mean to scare you. You're not going to have a heart attack, are you?" He looked worried. I took a few deep breaths and shook my head. He looked relieved. "I'm Zach," he said, holding out his hand. I shook it.

"I'm Claire."

"I came to tell you about shipping. Follow me." He led me to a tall box next to my crummy field. And I do mean crummy. Weeds and rocks and tree stumps were scattered everywhere. It looked like it belonged in an old horror movie. _The Thing that Lived in the Farm Field._ I turned my attention to Zach.

"This is your shipping box," he explained. "Put anything you want to sell in here, before 5 p.m., and I'll pick it up and pay you then. I don't work on holidays, though. There is also one of these each in the chicken coop and the barn."

"Where do I get stuff to sell?" I asked. Nobody was going to pay for weeds.

"You can find wild grass near Mother's Hill and the Hot Springs. You can also buy seeds at the store. The Poultry Farm sells chickens and Yodel Farm sells sheep and cows. Near the Goddess Spring, there's a mine you can dig in for ores."

"Okay. Thanks."

"Just let me know if you have any other questions!" he said, waving as he left. Oh, I had other questions all right. Like did he have any gasoline and matches so I could set fire to this place and start over? Or, how about some dynamite? _Never mind, you can handle it_, I told myself. Compared to Customer Service, this would be easy. "Okay," I said, out loud. "First things first. I need to go shopping. I need some animals. I also need to stop talking to myself." I was glad no one was around to hear me. I didn't want them to think some nutcase had moved in.

Suddenly, I remembered that I didn't know where anything was. I walked back in the house to see if there was a map somewhere. Meanwhile, Kelsey had come out from under the bed, and was engaged in a furious fight with a tennis ball that she had found. It must have said something nasty to her, because she jumped on it and bit like it had insulted her mother. I don't know where she found it, but I wasn't goint to try to take it away from her. She'd probably bite my hand off. I just rolled my eyes and continued my search. Bingo! There was a map that had been folded up on the bookcase. Now I wouldn't get lost. At least I hoped I wouldn't.

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_The new Chapter 2. After reading another fanfic, I saw that each chapter could use so many letters and I figured Chapter 3 was too long, so I combined some of it with Chapter 2._


	3. All Around the Town

_A/N: Thanks to everyone for their comments. Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I was sick through August, September, and October. My grandmother came to visit from Arizona Sept. - Oct., AND I went on my first cruise in November. I started this chapter in early August and I'm just now getting done. I hope it's okay._

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All Around the Town

Leaving Kelsey to teach the tennis ball a lesson, I walked off of my property and turned right. I had decided to stop at the Poultry Farm first and get a chicken or two. The only thing I knew about chickens was how to eat them, but I figured someone would give me few pointers. I walked to the door and knocked. The building actually looked like a house, so I felt funny about just walking in. Since I was from the city, I knew the consequences of just waltzing into someone's house. One of two things would happen. The owner would be on the other side of the door, wielding a baseball bat, or someone would be grabbing you and advising that "you have the right to remain silent." While I hadn't seen any evidence of police officers so far, it did occur to me that the residents could have wild dogs trained to eat unsuspecting trespassers.

The door opened, and I was greeted by a girl who looked like she was about my age. She had long, fluffy pink hair, and a bright smile. While pink wasn't exactly my favorite color, I thought it looked nice on her.

"Hi!" she chirped. "I'm Popuri Chicklis. Come on in."

She held open the door for me. Oh, man. She was perkier than Heather. For some reason, though, I didn't bother me.

"You must be new here." I nodded.

"I'm Claire Miller. I just bought the farm." I started laughing and so did she.

"You're funny," she said. "Which is definitely good. The last person that came here was so crabby, Mayor Thomas was thinking of making up some sort of law to get rid of her. Luckily, she left first. So, what can I do for you?"

"I want to buy a couple of chickens. I don't know anything about them, but I'd like to get some anyways."

"That's okay, I can teach you. My brother, Rick, can help you out, too; when he's not at his girlfriend's house. Her name's Karen and her family runs the grocery store."

"I need to go there next," I said.

"I have an idea!" she said, looking thrilled. "Buy your chickens and Rick can take them to your house, while I show you around town."

"Okay!" I agreed, relieved. The thought of walking around and possibly getting lost (trust me, with me, _anything_ is possible) did not sound like fun. Popuri led me to a counter. A young woman, with the same color hair as Popuri's, was standing behind the counter.

"Mom, this is Claire. She just moved on to the farm. Claire, this is my mother, Lillia."

"Nice to meet you," Lillia said, smiling. I shook her hand.

"It's nice to meet you, too."

"Did you come to buy some chickens?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am. I'll take two for now."

"The chickens like it if you name them," she suggested.

"Milla and Cassie," I said, having no idea where those names came from. They had just popped into my head.

"Mom, can you have Rick deliver them to her when he gets back? I'm going to show her around town."

"I'll do that. And I'll have him give you some feed to get you started."

"Thanks, Lillia. I _really _appreciate it."

"Have fun, girls," Lillia said, as we left the house.

Popuri pointed to the house directly across from hers. "That's the blacksmith shop. Saibara Smith and his grandson, Gray, work there." We turned right headed down the road. "This is Yodel Farm," she said, stopping at a house on the right. "Barley Yodel and his granddaughter, May, live here. Do you want to stop here before we go on?"

"Yes," I answered. "I want to get a cow and a sheep." A little girl with black pigtails was running around in the yard, being chased by a little boy. "They're cute," I said.

"That's Barley's granddaughter, May. The little boy is Stu. His sister, Elli, is a nurse at the Clinic." Boy, did I have a lot of names to remember! It would be easier to remember them all after I met them.

Popuri led me inside.

"Mornin' Barley," she said.

"Well, hello there, young lady," Barley answered. "Who's that with you?"

"This is Claire," Popuri answered, introducing us. "She moved onto the farm. She wants some animals."

"Well, one of each for now," I said.

"Do you have any grass planted yet?" he asked.

"Do weeds count?" I joked. He laughed.

"I can give you some feed until you get some grown," he offered.

"That would be great!"

"Okay, let's go look at some animals."

We walked out to the barn. May and Stu were inside, playing hide and seek.

"Hi. Who are you?" Stu stopped his counting and ran over to us.

"I'm Claire," I answered, smiling. He's such a cutie!

"I'm Stu. Do you live here? I've never seen you here before."

"I just moved to the farm," I explained.

"Cool! Are you getting animals? Can I come over sometime and see them?"

"Sure," I answered. "You can come over anytime you want."

"Hey, can I come too?" A little face appeared from around an empty stall. It was May. She must have been hiding in the hay. There were pieces stuck in her hair.

"Yes, you can come too," I said, smiling.

"Yay!" they both yelled at the same time.

"Run along now," Barley said. "Claire needs to pick some animals."

They ran outside, May yelling, "You can't catch me!" I watched them for a few seconds. I loved kids and these two were sweet.

"I know which ones I want," I told Barley. "I picked them out while Stu was interrogating me." I pointed out a light brown cow with white spots, and a sheep with a black face and feet. "I'll take those two."

"I'll have them delivered and send some food for them, too."

"Thanks Barley," I said. We went back into the house and I paid him. I only had enough money left for a few bags of seeds now, but that was okay. I had really wanted some animals as soon as possible.

Popuri and I left Yodel Farm and walked down the road to the right. A few feet away, we came to a big, open area. "This is Rose Square," Popuri explained. "We have all of our festivals here."

"Festivals?"

"Yeah. The 18th of Spring is the Horse Races. That's fun. You can make bets. If you win, you get medals to trade in for prizes."

"Who races?"

"Anyone can, as long as you have a grown-up horse." I had never actually been on horse before. I had petted a few and even had one try to eat my shirt. Besides, I didn't even have a horse yet. Popuri pointed to her right. "The beach is that way. Zack lives there and in the Summer, Kai comes to visit."

"Kai?"

"He spends his summers here and has a little lodge where he sells food." I swear I saw her cheeks turn pink. I glanced at her from the corner of my eye. Yep, she had that look alright.

"What?" she asked, noticing the look I was giving her. I grinned.

"I think someone may have crush on Kai," I teased.

"Maybe just a little one," she agreed. We passed another turn off on our left. "The Inn and Aja Winery is that way," she said. "We can stop there on the way back, if you want."

"That sounds good." I saw a building up ahead.

"That's the church," Popuri said. "Pastor Carter is very nice. And he helps Elli and Barley look after May and Stu." I glanced at the church and saw someone walking toward the doors. We had turned the corner by that time, but I was staring so hard at the boy walking in to the church, that I ran smack into a pole. I hit it so hard, I actually saw stars.

"Are you alright!" Popuri ran to help me stand up.

_Note to self: Watch where you're going,_ I thought.

"You hit your head. Let me see," Popuri demanded. I pushed my bangs out of the way. "You're starting to get a bruise," she said, worriedly. "Luckily, the Clinic is right next to the church." She took my arm and led me toward the Clinic.

"Who was that?" I asked. He was beautiful. He had long, brown hair pulled back, dressed in some sort of animal skin looking clothes.

"That was Cliff," Popuri said, sounding amused. "He's new here, too." Hopefully he hadn't seen my unlucky moment.

_Dear Diary,_

_Well, I did it. I managed to something embarrassing in my first few hours here. I ran into a pole. I was staring at a guy. The good news is, he didn't see me, and the bad news is that I have a bruise on my forehead the size of an orange. OK, so that last part was exaggerated. But it does look big. At least I can brush my bangs over it._

_The Doctor, Tim, gave me something for my headache. It was a liquid of some sort, and so far, it's working great. He gave me a couple extra, just in case my headache came back. Elli, his nurse, had called over to the Inn and ordered lunch. When the doctor released me, she invited me and Popuri to eat lunch with her and the girl who brought the food. Her name is Ann. She has long, red hair that she wears in a braid and she wears blue jean overalls. Smart girl. They're the most comfortable clothes ever. At least in my opinion._

_I had a good time at the Clinic today, and Ann told me to come by the Inn when I get a chance. Dr. Tim thought I should take the rest of the day off (even though I didn't actually do any real work), so, Popuri walked back home with me. I think she was worried that I would pass out or something. She helped me feed my animals, then said she would come by tomorrow to show me around the rest of the town. I think I'll go to bed early, so I'll be ready for tomorrow._

_-- Claire_

* * *

_Finally, I'm done. Small case of writer's block. The above mentioned incident is loosely based on a true story. My family and I were in Annapolis, and the Naval Academy guys were out in their dress whites. I was checking them out, and my dad got my attention just in time. I turned to look in front of me and stopped inches from a street lamp. Of course, my family laughed themselves silly, and now, a few years later, it is funny. I wanted to use that for the story; it was just that I wasn't sure how to end the chapter. P.S. - Suggestions are VERY welcome!_


	4. The Third Eye

Chapter 4 -The Third Eye

The next morning, I woke up the sound of birds chirping. I turned and looked at the clock that the previous farm owner had left. 6 am! Nobody in their right mind woke up at 6 am. I rolled back over and tried to go back to sleep, but those freaking birds wouldn't be quiet. It sounded like they were having a concert on my porch. That stuff the Doctor gave me yesterday worked pretty good, even though it tasted like he had strained it through his dirty socks. I didn't have a headache. I got out of bed and headed for the mirror that hung on the wall. Yikes, bad idea. I looked like crap. I never looked like I had just stepped out of a fashion magazine when I first woke up, but at least I looked human.

I had forgotten to braid my hair last night. It's long, almost to my waist, but now it was bunched up around my neck, like I was wearing a black scarf. The bruise on my forehead was a lovely shade of black. Oh, well, as soon as it turned green it would at least match my eyes. Unfortunately, it was almost right in the middle of my forehead. Great. It looked like I had three eyes. I could hear May and Stu now, "Run, it's a monster!" The town would make me stay in my house until I was less scary. At least my bangs covered it up slightly.

I turned away from the mirror and went to find my brush. I brushed my hair, then pulled it into a ponytail, so it would be out of the way. I washed my face and brushed my teeth. Then, I walked over the chest that was at the end of the bed and once again pulled on the backpack. This time, I was going to try to get some work done.

I opened the front door and almost knocked Popuri over. "Rise and shine," she said, cheerfully.

"I've risen," I replied. "But I'm not sure about the shining."

After showing me the Library and the Supermarket, Popuri said she needed to get back home to help her mom. I really needed to start working on my field anyways, so we parted ways at the Poultry Farm, agreeing to meet at the Inn later that night, so I could meet the other residents. Then, for the next four or five hours, I brutally attacked my field.

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_A/N - I know, it's short, but I needed to put something here. I just figured out where I'm going with this story. Getting there is the hard part._


End file.
